Concern over military junta's leap of faith on biofuels
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Amy Kazmin from Bangkok
BIODIESEL and the cultivation of energy-yielding crops have become for many countries an important component of energy planning. But few have embraced biofuels with the single-minded zeal of Burma, where the military junta has launched a huge campaign to grow jatropha, whose seeds are crushed and processed to produce oil.
In the quest for cash to fill its coffers, the regime is aiming to cultivate 8m acres of jatropha -- still largely un-proven as a suitable crop for biofuel -- by 2009. An official recently said Burma wished to export large quantities of biofuel from jatropha.
While state newspapers are filled with photos of generals enthusiastically planting and inspecting jatropha seedlings and plantations, UN officials and human rights groups have serious concerns about the push.
Rights groups say many farmers are being ordered by local military authorities to grow the crop regardless of the climate's suitability, while others are apparently having land confiscated for use in large-scale jatropha plantations.
"This is 'Great Leap Forward' kind of mentality," said David Mathieson, a researcher with Human Rights Watch. "It's an idea that is being forced on the population, without [regard to] any kind of adequate environmental impact or social consultation."
A Rangoon-based UN official -- who asked not to be identified -- said jatropha could be a useful crop for arid areas, but there was concern over the impact on rural dwellers' already precarious food security.
"The biggest weakness is the way it is being undertaken," said the official. "A lot of latitude is being given to the military to deploy for jatropha production, with little understanding of its impact in other areas such as basic community food security."
The Food and Agriculture Organisation, which conducted a quick assessment of Burma's jatropha programme, said it had urged the government to study the suitability of the plant for Burma's diverse agri-environments.
In its state-driven approach, the jatropha programme echoes the regime's one-time requirement that all farmers grow rice -- regardless of the suitability of their land for cultivation -- and sell it at a discount to the military. While the regime technically lifted those rules in 2003, the years of tight state controls on agriculture so deeply impoverished farmers that today most lack sufficient cash even to buy fertiliser.
Under syndication arrangement with FE
BIODIESEL and the cultivation of energy-yielding crops have become for many countries an important component of energy planning. But few have embraced biofuels with the single-minded zeal of Burma, where the military junta has launched a huge campaign to grow jatropha, whose seeds are crushed and processed to produce oil.
In the quest for cash to fill its coffers, the regime is aiming to cultivate 8m acres of jatropha -- still largely un-proven as a suitable crop for biofuel -- by 2009. An official recently said Burma wished to export large quantities of biofuel from jatropha.
While state newspapers are filled with photos of generals enthusiastically planting and inspecting jatropha seedlings and plantations, UN officials and human rights groups have serious concerns about the push.
Rights groups say many farmers are being ordered by local military authorities to grow the crop regardless of the climate's suitability, while others are apparently having land confiscated for use in large-scale jatropha plantations.
"This is 'Great Leap Forward' kind of mentality," said David Mathieson, a researcher with Human Rights Watch. "It's an idea that is being forced on the population, without [regard to] any kind of adequate environmental impact or social consultation."
A Rangoon-based UN official -- who asked not to be identified -- said jatropha could be a useful crop for arid areas, but there was concern over the impact on rural dwellers' already precarious food security.
"The biggest weakness is the way it is being undertaken," said the official. "A lot of latitude is being given to the military to deploy for jatropha production, with little understanding of its impact in other areas such as basic community food security."
The Food and Agriculture Organisation, which conducted a quick assessment of Burma's jatropha programme, said it had urged the government to study the suitability of the plant for Burma's diverse agri-environments.
In its state-driven approach, the jatropha programme echoes the regime's one-time requirement that all farmers grow rice -- regardless of the suitability of their land for cultivation -- and sell it at a discount to the military. While the regime technically lifted those rules in 2003, the years of tight state controls on agriculture so deeply impoverished farmers that today most lack sufficient cash even to buy fertiliser.
Under syndication arrangement with FE